Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10700 by Susan Deacon, what the timetable is for the consideration of the findings and recommendations of the Scottish Ambulance Service review of accident and emergency services and the eventual publication of the review findings.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive response to the Audit Committee’s Third Report on the Scottish Ambulance Service said that the findings of their appraisal for a system of priority-based dispatch would be with Ministers by the end of March 2001. A decision will be made as soon as possible thereafter.

  Other elements of the review of accident and emergency services form part of a programme of continuous improvement, and therefore are not being carried out to a specific timetable.

Ambulance Service

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects it to reach a final conclusion on the recommendations in connection with the closure of control rooms submitted by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive Health Department has just received the Scottish Ambulance Service business case containing their proposals for change. Although there is no specific timetable for consideration, I have asked officials to make recommendations to me as soon as possible in 2001.

Autism

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities currently provide separate facilities for the secondary education of autistic children, specifying in each case in how many locations such provision is available and how many full-time equivalent teachers are employed at each such facility.

Nicol Stephen: Data collected in the 1999 School Census does not include information on the type of special educational needs catered for in separate facilities or the numbers of full-time equivalent teachers employed in them. However the numbers of autistic pupils with Records of Needs attending local authority secondary and special schools are provided in the following tables:

  


Education Authority 
  

Number of Local Authority Secondary Schools 
  with pupils with Autism 
  

Number of pupils with Autism attending Local 
  Authority Secondaries 
  



Scotland 
  

73 
  

114 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

6 
  

12 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

5 
  

7 
  



Angus 
  

5 
  

7 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Dundee City 
  

3 
  

4 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

4 
  

5 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

1 
  

1 
  



East Lothian 
  

2 
  

3 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

2 
  

4 
  



Edinburgh 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Falkirk 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Fife 
  

4 
  

12 
  



Glasgow 
  

2 
  

11 
  



Highland 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Inverclyde 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Midlothian 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Moray 
  

6 
  

11 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

7 
  

7 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  

1 
  

2 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

0 
  

0 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

3 
  

3 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

2 
  

3 
  



Stirling 
  

0 
  

0 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

2 
  

2 
  



West Lothian 
  

4 
  

6 
  



  Note: The full-time equivalent number of teachers employed specifically to teach pupils with autism is not collected. Such teachers are included in the number employed within the school as a whole

  


Education Authority 
  

Number of Local Authority Special Schools 
  with secondary age pupils with Autism 
  

Number of secondary age pupils with Autism 
  attending Local Authority Special Schools 
  



Scotland 
  

38 
  

107 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

4 
  

9 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

4 
  

12 
  



Angus 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

1 
  

3 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Dundee City 
  

1 
  

2 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

1 
  

2 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

2 
  

3 
  



East Lothian 
  

0 
  

0 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Edinburgh 
  

4 
  

27 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Falkirk 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Fife 
  

4 
  

11 
  



Glasgow 
  

2 
  

6 
  



Highland 
  

2 
  

8 
  



Inverclyde 
  

1 
  

4 
  



Midlothian 
  

2 
  

3 
  



Moray 
  

0 
  

0 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  

1 
  

2 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

0 
  

0 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

1 
  

3 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

3 
  

7 
  



Stirling 
  

0 
  

0 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  



West Lothian 
  

0 
  

0 
  



  Note: The special schools contained in the above table all have pupils with autism who are the same age as those pupils who attend mainstream secondary schools. No information has been collected about how the level of education compares with mainstream secondary schools.

Autism

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of treatment for autism was to the NHSiS in each year since 1989-90 and what the projected cost is for 2000-01.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally.

Cancer

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research into anti-cancer drugs has been conducted, including any carried out in the private sector which it is aware of, and what resources have been devoted to this area.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department is aware of 1,961 current or recently completed projects into anti-cancer   drugs in the UK, of which 161 are in Scotland, with seven of those funded by the CSO. Details including available data on funding is available from the National Research Register, a copy of which is in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Crime

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost of retail crime is to (a) business and (b) the public purse.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of retail crimes can be attributed to (a) customer theft, (b) staff theft and (c) burglary.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of retail crime can be attributed to those of school age.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of retail crime is attributed to action by (a) individuals and (b) organised groups.

Iain Gray: This information is not held centrally. However a survey Counting the Cost – Crime against business in Scotland , published by the Scottish Executive Central Research Unit in November 1999, provides a comprehensive picture of the extent, nature and costs of crime across five principal business sectors. A copy of this publication has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Crime

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to combat retail crime.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is a founder partner and major funder of the Scottish Business Crime Centre. The centre is a collaboration involving the police, business sector and Scottish Executive whose main aim is to combat crime in the business sector. It is currently involved in a number of initiatives. These include, Retailers Against Crime Scotland (RACS), a leading example of how the business sector can act collectively to combat a specific crime risk, Business Crime Check (BCC), a data base on good practice in business crime prevention and Safer Trading Environment (STE), a community safety model which has been developed by SBCC to encourage collective action in city centres, shopping centres and trading estates.

Crime

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to bring to the attention of schoolchildren the effects which shoplifting can have on others in terms of the price of goods and the impact of such behaviour on shopkeepers and other, particularly elderly, customers.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has no plans at this particular time.

Dental Care

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether health boards, given their general responsibility for the delivery of dental services in Scotland, are notified by the General Dental Council (GDC) when investigating allegations of misconduct or malpractice against NHS dental practitioners and NHS dental staff; what role, if any, health boards play in such investigations by the GDC, and how many such notifications have been made in each of the last five years, broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: It is for the General Dental Council (GDC) to investigate allegations of misconduct. It is for them to decide the role that health boards should play in any investigation relating to NHS dental practitioners and staff, and to determine the notification arrangements. Matters relating to the GDC are reserved. The Executive is currently in discussion with the GDC over the information which should be forwarded to the Executive and boards/Trusts during and following misconduct inquiries.

Drug Misuse

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for a programme of care and support for drug users who are homeless preparatory to treatment and rehabilitation.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are strong links between drug misuse and homelessness, and in particular rough sleeping. The Government has allocated £42 million over the five years from 1997-2002 for the Rough Sleepers Initiative, so that no-one will have to sleep rough by 2003.

  The RSI fund a number of projects which help young drug-addicted rough sleepers. Services provided by such projects include direct access accommodation and supported furnished flats for people with addiction problems, support staff, outreach workers, drugs advice workers and health workers.

  In addition, £4 million has been allocated this year to health boards to support existing rough sleeping initiatives in Scotland. Guidance to health bodies on the needs of homeless people, including rough sleepers, will be issued shortly and a national health and homelessness co-ordinator will be appointed later this year to spearhead further improvements in health care for this vulnerable group.

Education

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what circumstances prompted the merger of the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum and the Scottish Council for Educational Technology to form Learning and Teaching Scotland and what the implications of the merger are for the work plans and development strategies for both organisations.

Mr Jack McConnell: The merger followed Policy Reviews of the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum (SCCC) and the Scottish Council for Educational Technology (SCET) in 1997 and 1998 respectively and subsequent extensive Government consultation.

  The development strategy and work plan of Learning and Teaching Scotland will encompass those of the former SCCC and SCET to form a coherent programme across ICT and curricular issues to shape the future of learning in Scotland. LT Scotland’s plans will be made available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Elderly People

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the recommendation in the recent report into poverty in Scotland by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee that it should consider the appointment of a Minister for the Elderly in Scotland and whether it intends to act upon this recommendation.

Henry McLeish: The Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care has ministerial responsibility for older people in Scotland.

Elderly People

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to set up a recognised, funded and permanent structure to enable the participation of older people at all levels of government.

Malcolm Chisholm: A new unit will be established within the Executive to co-ordinate older people’s issues. Part of their remit will be to establish arrangements for participation and engagement of older people and external organisations.

Football

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what loans Greenock Morton Football Club has received from the Football Trust, on what terms the loans were granted and what proportion of the loans has been repaid.

Allan Wilson: The issues raised in this question were dealt with in the letter sent to you on 9 October 2000 by Ms Rhona Brankin, the then Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport, a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Fuel Costs

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what fuel costs were incurred annually since 1997 by (a) Scottish Natural Heritage, (b) the Crown Office, (c) each local authority social work department, (d) each local authority transport department and (e) each local authority housing department.

Sarah Boyack: This information is not held centrally.

General Practitioners

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce general practitioner list sizes in areas of deprivation and greatest health need.

Susan Deacon: While the statutory Regulations set overall limits on list size, they do not provide a mechanism to control list size in particular circumstances.

  The needs of areas of deprivation and greatest health need are addressed through other means – e.g. through additional payments to GPs practising in deprived areas. These payments are made in recognition of the increased workload involved and to assist GPs in providing a high quality of service. The deprivation payments scheme was enhanced from 1 April 1999, increasing payments by £2.4 million to a total of £7.3 million in 1999-2000.

  As indicated in Our National Health, published on 14 December, we will also develop new contractual arrangements for GPs, building on Personal Medical Services pilots already underway, to allow Trusts to employ GPs directly to work in socially deprived areas.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3125 by Susan Deacon on 17 December 1999, whether the recent report by Pat Grant, a consultant at Glasgow Western Infirmary’s accident and emergency department, regarding age discrimination in accident and emergency units provides evidence that the availability of treatment in the NHS can depend on age.

Susan Deacon: The continuing allegations of discrimination within the NHS on grounds of age are a source of concern. The Scottish Executive is clear that clinical decisions must not be taken solely on the basis of an individual’s chronological age. A range of mechanisms is in place for making sure this principle is adhered to.

  We will continue to consider how NHS Scotland’s management of older patients in general can be improved. To that end, I have asked the Chief Medical Officer to lead an Expert Group to address the care of older people in NHS acute and primary care services.

  The report Better Critical Care, issued to NHS Scotland at the end of July, recommended that each NHS Trust should establish a Critical Care Delivery Group, and those groups should, where appropriate, take the findings on the management of elderly blunt trauma victims into account when assessing their critical care bed capacity.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the setting up of a public inquiry to examine the influence of age discrimination in the provision of care to patients in the NHS in response to the concerns raised by the Health and Community Care Committee on 31 May 2000 ( Official Report , col. 974-975).

Susan Deacon: I have asked the Chief Medical Officer to lead an Expert Group to address the care of older people in NHS Scotland acute and primary care services. The group will develop policies to ensure that ageism has no place in NHS Scotland.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce new measures or disciplinary procedures in order to prevent any age discrimination in the NHS.

Susan Deacon: There are already mechanisms for investigating allegations of age discrimination in the NHS. The Scottish Executive will continue to consider how NHS Scotland’s management of older patients in general can be improved. We have recently issued guidance about resuscitation orders which makes clear that patients and their relatives must be consulted, whatever their age. I have also referred in the answer to question S1W-9201 to the Expert Group which I have asked the CMO to lead in order to address concerns about older people and NHS Scotland services.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what compensation is available to NHS patients who believe they have suffered as a result of age discrimination and what efforts have been made to make information on compensation claims available to any such patients.

Susan Deacon: Compensation is offered to NHS patients only where the medical negligence has been established.

Health

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7948 by Susan Deacon on 5 July 2000, why information on medical services put out to tender over the last five years is not held centrally.

Susan Deacon: Medical services provided by NHS staff are not subject to a tendering process. It is the responsibility of each health board to secure the provision of medical and other health services needed by its resident population. For certain conditions and procedures this may require the health board to make use of services outwith its local area’s NHS.

  Where any such services are obtained from sources other than the NHS, it is the responsibility of the health board to ensure that the services deliver appropriate quality value for money.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus have there been in the last five years for which records are available.

Susan Deacon: Data on the number of cases of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus  (MRSA) are not available centrally, because the International Classification of Diseases code does not make a distinction between MRSA   and other forms of Staphylococcus aureus . Work is in hand, however, to record and monitor the incidence of MRSA more accurately through the development of a system of automatic electronic reporting to the Scottish Centre for Environmental Health.

  In addition, a scheme is being developed under which selected laboratories will, for a specified period each year, send all their samples from newly-recognised MRSA patients to the MRSA Reference Laboratory for analysis. This will provide a snapshot of the true incidence of of different types of MRSA within any particular hospital, as well as a basis for year-on-year comparisons in future.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address outbreaks of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in hospitals.

Susan Deacon: A range of policies and procedures is in place to prevent and control outbreaks of MRSA in hospitals. Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change set out our commitment to take steps to strengthen and monitor infection control procedures in hospitals.

  Infection Control teams are responsible for all infection in hospitals. In particular, Infection Control Nurses have a remit to survey and react to infection, including potential outbreaks of MRSA. The role of the Infection Control Team is set out clearly in the Scottish Infection Manual which was published in October 1998.

  In the same year, the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health issued guidance on the control of MRSA which reinforced established practice on environmental cleaning in the areas where the problem of MRSA exists.

  The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland has included infection control as one of its generic standards, and will be monitoring compliance. This is an essential part of our strategy for making infection control a key element in the clinical governance process.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11037 by Susan Deacon on 22 November 2000, what criteria are used to determine the list of illnesses which are exempt from prescription charges and why polycystic kidney disorder is not included on that list.

Susan Deacon: The list of medical conditions which confer exemption from charges is agreed with the medical profession. There is no consensus on possible additions to the list.

Influenza

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the Health and Community Care Committee’s Report on Influenza Vaccination, what the target is for the vaccination of all vulnerable people, for example asthma sufferers.

Susan Deacon: The Scotland-wide target for immunising those aged 65 years is 60% of the age group. This target was agreed with representatives of the BMA in Scotland and is regarded as both achievable and beneficial. For those under 65 years with chronic illnesses such as asthma (who are categorised as "at risk"), GPs have been asked to maximise uptake. Sufficiently reliable data on the numbers involved is not available and no target uptake figure has therefore been set for these groups.

Junior Doctors

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Implementation Support Group on junior doctors’ hours and working conditions last met and what its current schedule of work includes.

Susan Deacon: The New Deal Implementation Support Group (ISG) meets regularly. Its last meeting was on 20 November 2000.

  The group is continuing to work with NHS Trusts to help them improve junior doctors’ hours and working conditions through advisory visits to individual Trusts, the delivery of training and education workshops and the provision of supporting material. To increase its capacity I have agreed to expand the group by recruiting a further six junior doctors on secondment to provide specialised support on local action to reduce hours. The ISG is also working with the Health Department, NHS Trusts and the Scottish Junior Doctors’ Committee to implement the new contract for junior doctors.

Justice

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reach a decision on introduction of a byelaw to prevent drinking on Invergordon High Street.

Mr Jim Wallace: Highland Council have now made revised byelaws which have been advertised as required. When these byelaws are submitted for confirmation we will process them as soon as practicable.

Justice

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what the legal implications are of Sheriff Margaret Gimblett’s decision at Greenock Sheriff Court last year to acquit three women who had damaged a research barge related to the Trident nuclear weapon system.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Sheriff’s decision was the subject of further legal proceedings in the High Court and a decision from that court is awaited. I cannot comment on a matter which remains before the courts for consideration.

Marine Environment

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what aquatic species have been introduced to the Firth of Forth and Forth Estuary from ballast waters discharged from vessels using Forth ports.

Mr Sam Galbraith: There is no definitive scientific evidence that any aquatic species have been introduced into Scottish waters in ballast water. It has been suggested that two non-native species present in the Firth of Forth may have been introduced in this way. These are a copepod or small crustacean called Acartia tonsa and a polychaete worm called Marenzelleria viridis . Neither of these species is regarded as harmful.

Meningitis

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the invoicing and accounting system for the administration of the meningitis C vaccine differs from standard practice.

Susan Deacon: The administration of the meningitis C vaccination programme is funded by the Scottish Executive and invoices are processed by the Common Services Agency. This system was agreed with the Department of Health in England and allows Scotland to take advantage of the arrangements currently in place in the rest of the UK.

Mental Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the mental health of young people has deteriorated in recent years as outlined in its document 1999 Health in Scotland .

Malcolm Chisholm: There is no single reason. The Chief Medical Officer in his annual report  Health in Scotland 1999 (bib. no. 8112) sets out a range of contributory factors.

  Our task is to respond to individual needs, and to attack the causes at source. Our social inclusion agenda, combined with the three-level approach to public health set out in our White Paper Towards a Healthier Scotland (bib. no. 3036) and the service response proposals within the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland (bib. no. 7392), combined with other initiatives, form the basis of a broad, co-ordinated approach in this regard.

  Copies of the publications referred to are available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Mental Health

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10350 by Iain Gray on 30 October 2000, what the "range of services provided" are which are in place for people with mental health problems in the South of Scotland; what support, financial and other, it has provided for such services in each of the past three years, and what advice and guidance it has made available to agencies providing or seeking to provide such services.

Malcolm Chisholm: The resources available to Dumfries and Galloway Council and to Dumfries and Galloway Health Board in each of the last three years are as follows (£ millions):

  


 


Allocation to Local Authority1


Allocation to Health Board 
  



1998-99 
  

160.5 
  

114.4 
  



1999-2000 
  

170.5 
  

132.2 
  



2000-01 
  

176.0 
  

132.9 
  



  Notes:

  1. Total Grant Aided Expenditure allocation.

  It is for the health board and the local authority to decide how much should be spent on mental health services and support, though the Scottish Executive expect a co-ordinated approach to be adopted. Comprehensive information on the range of services provided by the health board and the local authority from the resources made available to them are available from those agencies.

  In the past three years 14 projects in Dumfries and Galloway have been supported by Mental Illness Specific Grant (£480,000 a year), and seven initiatives in the area have been funded from the Mental Health and Well Being Development Fund to a total value of £832,000.

  Guidance on the best organisation of mental health services was published in the service elements section of the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland (bib. no. 7392). A copy is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

NHS Trusts

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the anticipated financial deficit is of the Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Susan Deacon: Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust was forecasting an overspend of £12 million as at 31 January 2000. The task force was appointed in February 2000 and the Trust is now forecasting a year-end overspend of £7.5 million for the financial year 2000-01.

  The ongoing work to restore financial balance whilst protecting patient services is well under way and is being closely monitored.

NHS Waiting Times

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current waiting times are for first appointments with neurology consultants and what the equivalent figures were for each of the last ten years, broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: The median waiting times for a first outpatient appointment with a consultant neurologist, following GP referral, by health board of residence, for the years 1993-94 to 1999-2000 are given in the table. This data was not collected centrally prior to 1993-94.

  NHS In Scotland: Waiting Times For A First Outpatient Appointment With A Consultant Neurologist Following Referral By A General Practitioner1: By Health Board Of Residence – Years Ending 31 March 1994 – 31 March 20002.

  


Year Ending
31 March 
  

Area Of Residence 
  

Number Of Appointments 
  

Median Waiting Time (Days) 
  



1994 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

1,000 
  

53 
  


 

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

330 
  

55 
  


 

Borders 
  

182 
  

65 
  


 

Dumfries and Galloway 
  

45 
  

41 
  


 

Fife 
  

541 
  

57 
  


 

Forth Valley 
  

328 
  

42 
  


 

Grampian 
  

1,416 
  

55 
  


 

Greater Glasgow 
  

3,394 
  

57 
  


 

Highland 
  

31 
  

16 
  


 

Lanarkshire 
  

844 
  

74 
  


 

Lothian 
  

2,446 
  

51 
  


 

Orkney 
  

4 
  

28 
  


 

Shetland 
  

3 
  

35 
  


 

Tayside 
  

1,210 
  

95 
  


 

Western Isles 
  

30 
  

35 
  


 

SCOTLAND 
  

11,804 
  

57 
  



1995 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

904 
  

69 
  


 

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

322 
  

60 
  


 

Borders 
  

194 
  

66 
  


 

Dumfries and Galloway 
  

37 
  

35 
  


 

Fife 
  

781 
  

62 
  


 

Forth Valley 
  

304 
  

46 
  


 

Grampian 
  

1,579 
  

58 
  


 

Greater Glasgow 
  

3,119 
  

70 
  


 

Highland 
  

82 
  

42 
  


 

Lanarkshire 
  

890 
  

76 
  


 

Lothian 
  

2,781 
  

55 
  


 

Orkney 
  

6 
  

27 
  


 

Shetland 
  

13 
  

63 
  


 

Tayside 
  

1,197 
  

66 
  


 

Western Isles 
  

40 
  

52 
  


 

SCOTLAND 
  

12,249 
  

63 
  



1996 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

1,021 
  

80 
  


 

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

290 
  

96 
  


 

Borders 
  

171 
  

65 
  


 

Dumfries and Galloway 
  

55 
  

35 
  


 

Fife 
  

809 
  

48 
  


 

Forth Valley 
  

306 
  

46 
  


 

Grampian 
  

1,143 
  

60 
  


 

Greater Glasgow 
  

3,502 
  

76 
  


 

Highland 
  

125 
  

71 
  


 

Lanarkshire 
  

952 
  

73 
  


 

Lothian 
  

2,146 
  

71 
  


 

Orkney 
  

4 
  

24 
  


 

Shetland 
  

8 
  

67 
  


 

Tayside 
  

1,357 
  

77 
  


 

Western Isles 
  

53 
  

53 
  


 

SCOTLAND 
  

11,942 
  

70 
  



1997 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

1,027 
  

99 
  


 

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

381 
  

115 
  


 

Borders 
  

202 
  

31 
  


 

Dumfries and Galloway 
  

42 
  

59 
  


 

Fife 
  

845 
  

86 
  


 

Forth Valley 
  

448 
  

41 
  


 

Grampian 
  

1,690 
  

37 
  


 

Greater Glasgow 
  

3,122 
  

82 
  


 

Highland 
  

184 
  

151 
  


 

Lanarkshire 
  

893 
  

63 
  


 

Lothian 
  

2,712 
  

57 
  


 

Orkney 
  

8 
  

61 
  


 

Shetland 
  

14 
  

38 
  


 

Tayside 
  

1,284 
  

85 
  


 

Western Isles 
  

43 
  

69 
  


 

SCOTLAND 
  

12,895 
  

69 
  



1998 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

923 
  

100 
  


 

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

266 
  

116 
  


 

Borders 
  

238 
  

55 
  


 

Dumfries and Galloway 
  

70 
  

47 
  


 

Fife 
  

947 
  

105 
  


 

Forth Valley 
  

340 
  

41 
  


 

Grampian 
  

1,950 
  

46 
  


 

Greater Glasgow 
  

3,164 
  

96 
  


 

Highland 
  

87 
  

73 
  


 

Lanarkshire 
  

1,214 
  

76 
  


 

Lothian 
  

3,025 
  

45 
  


 

Orkney 
  

4 
  

27 
  


 

Shetland 
  

24 
  

56 
  


 

Tayside 
  

1,208 
  

86 
  


 

Western Isles 
  

57 
  

90 
  


 

SCOTLAND 
  

13,517 
  

68 
  



1999 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

1,122 
  

108 
  


 

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

330 
  

135 
  


 

Borders 
  

284 
  

47 
  


 

Dumfries and Galloway 
  

97 
  

71 
  


 

Fife 
  

948 
  

97 
  


 

Forth Valley 
  

460 
  

36 
  


 

Grampian 
  

1,949 
  

63 
  


 

Greater Glasgow 
  

3,307 
  

108 
  


 

Highland 
  

153 
  

72 
  


 

Lanarkshire 
  

1,311 
  

104 
  


 

Lothian 
  

3,028 
  

48 
  


 

Orkney 
  

7 
  

39 
  


 

Shetland 
  

21 
  

55 
  


 

Tayside 
  

1,215 
  

101 
  


 

Western Isles 
  

67 
  

161 
  


 

SCOTLAND 
  

14,299 
  

80 
  



2000 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

1,035 
  

74 
  


 

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

316 
  

74 
  


 

Borders 
  

283 
  

58 
  


 

Dumfries and Galloway 
  

50 
  

75 
  


 

Fife 
  

1,021 
  

67 
  


 

Forth Valley 
  

628 
  

154 
  


 

Grampian 
  

2,091 
  

77 
  


 

Greater Glasgow 
  

3,620 
  

84 
  


 

Highland 
  

187 
  

115 
  


 

Lanarkshire 
  

1,405 
  

85 
  


 

Lothian 
  

3,548 
  

40 
  


 

Orkney 
  

6 
  

65 
  


 

Shetland 
  

21 
  

113 
  


 

Tayside 
  

1,587 
  

75 
  


 

Western Isles 
  

65 
  

43 
  


 

SCOTLAND 
  

15,863 
  

70 
  



  Source: ISD, Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Excludes patients with a Patient’s Charter guarantee exception code.

  2. Data for 1999-2000 is provisional.

National Lottery Funding

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Natural Heritage Lottery Fund to ensure that Tobar an Dualchais receives sufficient lottery funding to activate match funding for its project to conserve and disseminate the Gaelic and other material in its archives.

Allan Wilson: The Heritage Lottery Fund, like the other National Lottery distributing bodies, makes its decisions on applications independently. The Executive therefore does not make any such representations.

Organ Donation

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to enhance and integrate the IT system throughout the NHS to ensure that intentions regarding organ donations are made known.

Susan Deacon: A computerised Organ Donor Register covering the whole of the United Kingdom is run by UK Transplant for all Health Departments. One of several methods for new donors to signify their intentions is when registering with a new general practitioner. Data on such donors is collected through the Community Health Index operated by the Practitioner Services Division (PSD) of the Common Services Agency to the NHS in Scotland, and is transmitted electronically to UK Transplant. Improvements are currently being planned to the electronic software which among other information will cover the transfer of donor information from GPs to PSD. These arrangements will form part of the ongoing process of updating and enhancing IT systems for GPs.

Osteoporosis

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6762 by Susan Deacon on 7 June 2000, which health boards now operate specific primary care initiatives in relation to osteoporosis.

Susan Deacon: Local initiatives are in place across Scotland to help with the prevention of osteoporosis (including alcohol, smoking and diet initiatives). In addition, many specific primary care initiatives are in place. Detailed information on individual initiatives is available from Primary Care Trusts.

Pensions

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the gross annual impact was of the abolition of advance corporation tax credit for pension funds on (a) Scottish Tourist Board and each area tourist board, (b) the Scottish Prison Service and (c) Scottish Homes, in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99 and (iii) 1999-2000 and what is the estimated impact on each in 2000-01.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Staff of the Scottish Prison Service are civil servants and pensions are not paid from a funded scheme. I regret that information for the Scottish Tourist Board, Area Tourist Boards and Scottish Homes is not held centrally and could not be obtained in the time available. I have asked the Chief Executives to write to you with such information as they may have.

Pest Control

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what methods of pest control are employed on land under its ownership or control, and whether dogs are used underground in such pest control.

Rhona Brankin: Scottish Ministers own or control a large area of land in Scotland. A range of pest control measures are used on that land depending on the specific circumstances of each case. These vary from the use of chemicals and poisons for insect and rodent infestation to trapping and shooting to control pigeon and pest mammals such as moles and rabbits. From the enquiries that have been made, we have no knowledge of dogs being used underground for pest control purposes on land owned or controlled by Scottish Ministers.

Planning

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to local authorities to assist them in determining what constitutes a farm park.

Mr Sam Galbraith: No such guidance has been issued. The term "farm parks" is not recognised in planning circles.

Planning

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any proposals to reduce or redistribute projected household formation to 2012 and, if it has no such proposals, whether it intends to ensure that structure plan areas identify sufficient effective land supply to ensure that an adequate supply of housing can be provided to meet demand created by household formation as set out in its Statistical Bulletin HSG\2000\4 on projected households.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive has no proposals to revise the current projections for the period 1998-2012, set out in Statistical Bulletin HSG\2000\4.

  National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 3: Land for Housing requires structure plans to provide inter alia for a minimum five-year supply of land which is effective or capable of becoming effective to meet the requirements of the plan. In taking decisions on structure plans the Scottish Ministers will take account of this NPPG along with other national policies and any representations submitted to them.

Prison Service

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Justice last met representatives of the Prison Officers’ Association Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: Office bearers of the Scottish Prison Officers’ Association were part of a Trade Union Side delegation I met on 10 October 2000.

Rape

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to educate the public of the dangers of "drug rape", and particularly about the drugs Rohypnol and Gamma-hydroxybutate.

Susan Deacon: Rohypnol is not available on NHS prescription, and Gamma-hydroxybutate is not a licensed medicine in the UK. Possession of either drug without authority is an offence. The danger of "drug rape", whether involving these or other drugs, has been well publicised and the public should take care, particularly when drinking in large groups.

Road Safety

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many road accidents on the M74’s (a) four-lane section and (b) six-lane section in each of the last three years (i) did not involve any serious injuries or fatalities and (ii) involved serious injuries or fatalities.

Sarah Boyack: Over the last three years there were 101 personal injury accidents on the M74’s four-lane section between Junction 6 and Junction 12. Of these, 69 did not involve serious injuries or fatalities and 32 involved serious injuries or fatalities.

  Over the last three years there were 244 personal injury accidents on the six-lane section of the M74 from Junction 1 to Junction 6 and Junction 12 to the Border. Of these, 184 did not involve serious injuries or fatalities and 60 involved serious injuries or fatalities.

Road Safety

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8724 by Sarah Boyack on 21 August 2000, whether it will publish details of each road safety improvement scheme and budget.

Sarah Boyack: Details and total scheme costs for the improvement schemes programmed for the current financial year on the A84 between Stirling and Lochearnhead and the A82 between Crianlarich and Tyndrum are as follows:

  


Location 
  

Details 
  

Estimated Total Scheme Cost 
  



A84 Callander 
  

New 30mph speed limit, Village Gateway signing, "Toucan" 
  crossing, new road markings. Traffic signals at the A84/A81 
  junction. 
  

£125,000 
  



A84 Kilmahog 
  

New 40mph speed limit. 
  

£2,500 
  



A84 Strathyre 
  

Updating of traffic calming measures, including new southern 
  Village Gateway signing. 
  

£48,000 
  



A82 Tyndrum 
  

Further traffic calming measures will be installed, 
  including extending the bus lay-by for southbound 
  services. 
  

£90,000 
  



Total 
  
 

£265,500 
  



  In addition, as part of a maintenance scheme, traffic signals will be installed at the railway bridge west of the A82/A85 junction at Crianlarich this year at an estimated cost of £25,000.

Roads

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether case C-359/97, Commission of the European Communities versus the United Kingdom , will affect the construction of the M77 extension due to its implication that shadow tolls should be subject to VAT.

Sarah Boyack: No. Shadow tolls are already subject to VAT and are not affected by the decision of the European Court of Justice.

Rural Affairs

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to counteract any effects of the phasing out of transitional relief for water and wastewater charges on community halls and community associations which serve rural communities.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Relief on water and sewerage charges has already been withdrawn in the case of some premises and the water authorities have consulted on withdrawal in further cases. Where relief is being withdrawn, this is being phased over five years to ease the immediate impact on those affected and to help them accommodate increased charges.

Rural Affairs

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for a scheme to support the construction and development of village halls in rural Scotland.

Ross Finnie: The Local Capital Grants Scheme is designed to assist local voluntary, youth and community organisations to provide new or upgrade existing premises for educational, social and recreational activities. I invited bids for the 2001-02 round on 10 October. The closing date for local authorities to submit their prioritised list of bids to the Executive was 8 December 2000.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the anticipated deficit of the Scottish Qualifications Authority is for the end of this financial year.

Mr Jack McConnell: As a result of the additional work undertaken to resolve the problems with Diet 2000, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has incurred additional costs. The full financial implications are currently being quantified and will be discussed with SQA in detail. I will ensure they are reported to Parliament.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the outstanding sums owed to the Scottish Qualifications Authority as at 1 October 2000 had been outstanding for (a) more than one month, (b) more than three months and (c) more than six months.

Mr Jack McConnell: This is an operational issue for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chairman to reply to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to appoint a representative of parents to the board of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Mr Jack McConnell: Final decisions on the permanent composition of the board will be informed by the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee’s inquiry into SQA governance and the outcome of the Policy, Financial and Management Review.

  I announced on 22 November the composition of a group which will monitor the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s progress on implementing the recommendations in the Deloitte and Touche report. This group will involve representation from parents.

Teachers

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of each year’s teaching graduates are eligible to teach mathematics.

Mr Jack McConnell: The most recent information held centrally, academic session 1994-95 to 1998-99, on graduates with an initial teaching qualification in mathematics is shown in the table:

  

 

1994-95 
  

1995-96 
  

1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  



All Secondary Teaching Graduates 
  

1,125 
  

1,154 
  

1,073 
  

1,078 
  

994 
  



Graduates qualified to teach Maths 
  

217 
  

202 
  

175 
  

139 
  

108 
  



% qualified to teach Maths 
  

19.3% 
  

17.5% 
  

16.3% 
  

12.9% 
  

10.9% 
  



  Source: HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency).

  Mathematics is among the subjects on the current priority list. Teacher education institutions are expected to fill the bulk of places on postgraduate secondary initial teacher education courses from the priority list and this is reflected in the guidance offered to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council in setting intakes to courses of initial teacher education.

Telecommunications

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9958 by Sarah Boyack on 9 October 2000, why it considers a further consultation necessary, given the existence of reports of the Transport and the Environment Committee and the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The consultation exercise will provide an opportunity to comment on the Executive’s detailed proposals for planning legislation and guidance.